From the Lecture Hall into the Center of World Politics

"Uni goes UNO": 17 students of the TU Chemnitz represent the central African country Chad at the world‘s largest UN simulation in New York in March 2016

For the 13th time in the history of the university a delegation from the Technische Universität Chemnitz participates in the National Model United Nations Conference (NMUN). From the 20th to the 24th of March 2016 17 students will travel to New York to debate with more than 5,000 student participants from around the world about current challenges and sources of conflict in global politics. As in the past twelve years, the students rise to the challenge of representing an assigned land with its interests and positions the best way possible as a "junior diplomat" at NMUN and to simulate the work of the organization realistically.

This time the students of the TU Chemnitz slip into the role of UN diplomats for Chad and negotiate in a total of nine committees, inter alia on the following topics: education in rural areas, corruption in the field of environmental policy, or the political situation in the central African country. "We are currently preparing intensively on working out the position of Chad on the respective topics in the appropriate committees. Our team is prepared both internationally and interdisciplinary. Everyone profits from this composition in the collaboration," says Ewelina Wanat, participant of the delegation NMUN 2016.

Getting Started on Diplomatic Parquet: Trial Simulation in Hamburg

From the 3rd to the 6th of December 2015, the students of Chemnitz traveled to HamMUN simulation in Hamburg, one of Germany‘s biggest UN simulations. Here they were able to gain their first MUN experience and already could give a proof of their acquired knowledge. "The simulation in Hamburg offers a very good introduction to the world of the UN conferences. It is the best opportunity to test yourself and implement previously acquired knowledge into practice," says Magdalena Oertel, assistant of the professorship of International Politics and Faculty Advisor of the delegation NMUN 2016.

UNO Visiting Chemnitz

Before the team travels to New York, the delegation of Chemnitz will test its knowledge of the functioning of the UN and its negotiating skills in English in the sample simulation ChemMUN in Chemnitz. From the 14th to the 17th of January 2016, the students will discuss about the threat to international peace by Boko Haram and about the Agenda 2030 in the framework of a simulated UN General Assembly or the Security Council. In addition to the intensive preparations in Chemnitz, for which the group has met weekly since October, ChemMUN is the last test run before the delegation travels to New York.

African Flair to Set the Mood

As in the past, this year?s NMUN delegates also organize a Countries evening on the 14th of January 2016 for the presentation of "their" country Chad. In the context of ChemMUN 2016 the NMUN delegation wants to get in the mood for Chad with African music, snacks and an UN quiz. The NMUN delegation welcomes everyone to explore a piece of Chad!

Keyword: National Model United Nation Conference

National Model United Nations simulation, also known as NMUN, is almost as old as the UN itself. Among the numerous conferences it is the oldest, largest and most professional event ever. In the meantime, simulations of the UN are taking place in schools and universities in over 40 countries all around the world. But only the NMUN conference is allowed to meet, amongst others, in the traditional hall of the General Assembly in the UN main building in New York. The main objective of this conference is to openly and impartially deal with the positions of other countries and cultures, to experience the complexities of international matters and negotiations but also to train negotiation skills and diplomatic finesse.

Since 2004, delegations of Chemnitz have participated in NMUN and were awarded multiple times. The Technische Universität Chemnitz is the only university in Saxony that meets the challenge year in and year out and could represent the following countries so far: Macedonia, Georgia, Estonia, Vietnam, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Namibia, Ukraine, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Libya and lastly Mali.

For further information, contact Magdalena Oertel, Telephone 0371 531-39679, email magdalena.oertel@phil.tu-chemnitz.de.

Homepage of the NMUN project of TU Chemnitz: https://www.tu-chemnitz.de/nmun

(Author: Magdalena Oertel, Translation: Paulina Mayer)

Katharina Thehos
11.01.2016

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